It's Not What it Looks Like
by Pir8grl
Summary: In which Len returns, and meets Leo...and is very, very confused.
1. Chapter 1

Leonard Snart was confused. This was not a condition he would ordinarily admit to, but right now, his head was spinning. His last clear memories were of Sara kissing him goodbye, him shouting his defiance to Druce, and then a wash of blue light. The current few moments were no particular improvement. Cisco's nattering on about multiple Earths, and even Mick's happy exclamation of 'Real Snart!' accompanied by a rough bear hug had left him reeling. The others were still engrossed in trying to tie up whatever the hell mess he'd wandered into, and hadn't really acknowledged his presence yet. (And yeah, cold or no cold, that stung a bit.)

There was one person he desperately wanted to see; one person who could ground him in all of this chaos. After wandering the labyrinthine corridors of STAR Labs a bit, he found himself peering into a room dimly lit by flickering candles (In a high-tech research lab?), and there she was. Her white leather jacket and some weapons were discarded carelessly on the floor, and Sara herself was sprawled on a couch. A sturdy sports bra covered the necessities, and revealed some wicked bruises. And…

There was a man holding her. Snart couldn't see his face - it was bent over Sara's blonde head, in shadow. But one long-fingered hand gently combed through her hair, and the other held her securely. Light glinted from a wedding band on that hand.

Some little thing inside of him withered at the sight. He tried to summon the cold, as he had so many times before in his life. The world had never given a crap for what Leonard Snart needed or wanted before. No reason to start now.

"Pardon me, mate," a cheerful British-accented voice exclaimed, its owner shoving past Snart, and into the room.

The newcomer was scruffy, and wore a loosened red tie over a rumpled white shirt. He was carrying a small glass vial and…a bunch of roses? This just kept getting weirder and weirder. The Brit crouched down beside Sara. He carefully set one of the roses in her hand, and gently closed her fingers around the stem. Then he dabbed something from the vial on her forehead and over her heart.

And now Leonard was truly confounded. Strange men did _**not**_ put their hands on Sara Lance and live to tell the tale. Sara Lance did _**not**_ drop her weapons on the floor. And candlelight and roses? What the hell was going on here?

"Snart!"

He turned to find Barry Allen coming towards him, grinning, with his arms outstretched. Snart glared at the younger man, who stopped abruptly, and dropped his arms.

"Right. Sorry. Leo likes hugs," he explained sheepishly.

"Also cuddles," the British guy added as he joined them. "And sometimes, a good cuddle is worth more than a boatload of incantations and holy water."

"Who _**are**_ these people?" Snart growled. "And what happened to Sara?"

"Bit of a scuffle with a demon," the Brit offered. He held out his hand. "John Constantine." He eyed Snart appraisingly. "You must be the other one."

"Other one what?" Snart bristled, sidestepping quickly as STAR Labs' very determined resident medical expert pushed her way through the crowd in the doorway.

"Mr. Constantine," Caitlin began tartly, "do you suppose I can treat Sara's injuries now?"

"Of course, love. We just had to make sure she was clean, first."

"Clean? You reek of cigarettes!"

"Demonic dirt, love. Nasty stuff." Constantine grinned, and held out a rose to Snart, who eyed him rather as if he was some noxious form of insect. "Oh, go on, mate. I use 'em for protection from evil, but you've got a young lady in there who's been missing you. And I've seen her fight. I expect you want to stay on her good side."

Snart accepted the flower with a reluctant huff.

"And one for you, love," Constantine continued blithely, tucking a rose into the pocket of Caitlin's lab coat.

"Iris likes roses," Barry said, smiling brightly, and holding out his hand.

"I don't suppose I can prevail upon you people to lower your voices?" the man in the shadows drawled. "Sara's going to have one helluva headache when she wakes up."

Snart's head snapped around to peer into the depths of the candlelit room. He was less sure by the moment that _**he**_ actually was awake…and he _**definitely**_ had a headache. That voice…was _**his.**_ And so was the face, when the other man finally looked up. It was like looking in a mirror, except that the other man's face was…less harsh. There were smile lines at the corners of his mouth, and his eyes twinkled with warmth.

"Mr. Snart? You prefer Leonard, don't you? I've heard a lot about you. Enough to imagine that Sara would much rather wake up in your arms."

Snart took a tentative step into the room, only to be pushed aside by an impatient Caitlin, intent on getting to her patient. He glanced at the gold band on the other man's hand.

"But…you're married," he said slowly.

Leo chuckled. "Oh, I am…but not to Sara."

"He's married to Ray," Caitlin said absently, as she checked out some ugly bruising on Sara's ribcage.

 _ **"What?"**_

"Not our Ray," Barry explained helpfully. "Another Ray."

"Who I really want to get home to. So why don't you get over here, where you belong?" Leo invited.

There was a sudden rush of air, and a very startled Leonard found himself seated on the couch. He opened his mouth to cuss out a certain presumptuous speedster, but the protest died on his lips as he realized he was finally - _**finally**_ \- holding Sara.

Leo gave him a smile that somehow managed to be kind and knowing at the same time.

"But what do I…do?" Leonard asked with uncharacteristic uncertainty. If he was really home at last, with Sara Lance cradled in his arms…it was maybe the best thing that had ever happened in his whole, miserable life. And it was too important to screw up.

"You hold her," Leo said kindly, tucking a lock of hair back from Sara's face, and setting his palm gently against her cheek. "So she knows she's safe, and not alone."

"But she's unconscious," Snart protested.

"She'll know," Leo assured him with a gentle smile. "Trust me. Take good care of her, won't you?"

Snart nodded, still a bit bemused.

"And keep her from getting up and running marathons the moment she wakes," Caitlin added, settling some cooling gel packs against Sara's ribs.

"Easier said than done," Snart muttered.

Caitlin gave Sara a final once-over, then looked up at Snart with a bright smile. "You're a very resourceful fellow, Mr. Snart. You'll think of something."

Snart was eternally grateful to the doctor for herding all the others out and leaving them alone in the dim, quiet room. Sara nestled herself a bit closer to him, a small smile playing over her features. She stirred again, then blinked up at him.

"Leo?" she asked in a rough whisper.

"Not quite."

Her eyes widened as she took in the minute differences in his features, and the leather jacket she hadn't seen since…

 _ **"Leonard?"**_

"The very same."

"But… _ **how?"**_

"To be honest, I stopped listening once they got to the part about demons. Let's just say…Hunter once said something about miracles. Right now, that's good enough for me. Is that…OK?"

Sara smiled drowsily and wrapped both hands around his arm. "Hell, yeah."

Leonard relaxed a bit, and pressed a kiss to the top of her head. Sara was safe in his arms. He was finally home. The rest could be figured out later. Much later.


	2. Chapter 2

Wakefulness gradually intruded itself upon Leonard Snart's senses - primarily in the form of his spine giving him holy hell for falling asleep slouched in the corner of the couch. And there was someone watching him. He sucked in a startled breath, now fully awake.

Sara Lance sat cross-legged on the couch, with a blanket wrapped around her shoulders, studying him rather intently.

"Hey," he mumbled, voice rough from his unintended nap.

"Hey, yourself."

"Everything all right?" he asked, after a few more moments of enduring her intense scrutiny.

"You tell me," Sara replied enigmatically. "How are you here? And how do I know it's really you?"

Leonard sighed and straightened himself up so he was sitting properly - or at least, as properly as he ever managed. "The first time we stepped aboard the Waverider, you told me off for staring at your ass."

Sara's mouth quirked up in the faintest hint of a grin. He took that as encouragement, and continued.

"We went to 1975, and you asked me to dance. Then you mopped the floor with a bunch of guys two or three times your size. You were breathtaking."

The smile grew.

"We nearly froze to death. We played cards. We swiped booze. But…I've never been good at this feelings crap. So when I got scared, when all I wanted to do was get us both someplace safe…I pulled a gun on you. But you - you're a hero."

"Says the guy who told me to take his best friend and go."

"You kissed me."

"I did. I…you're not the only one who has trouble with this stuff. I wanted to say so much…but I didn't know how…and there was no time."

"So," Leonard drawled, "are you satisfied that I'm the genuine article?"

"Yeah."

The grin was full-blown now, and Sara's eyes sparkled as she shifted over and tucked herself into his side, wincing a little as she arranged herself so as not to put pressure on her bruises.

"Are you all right?"

"I've has worse. Gideon can fix me up, once we're back aboard the Waverider." She tilted her head a bit to look up at him. "Do you have any idea how you got here?"

"Sorry. I don't speak Ramon. I heard a lot of babble about breaches and portals. When he started talking about demons I decided it was time to find you."

Sara chuckled softly.

"So, who were those guys who were in here with you?" Leonard asked, his curiosity finally getting the better of him.

"Yeah, I heard you encountered them. John Constantine is helping to clean up one of our more…legendary…screw ups. Involving demons."

"Seriously?"

 _ **"Very."**_ Sara shuddered and he tightened his arm around her. "The other is Leo Snart. He's well…you…from another earth. He's a good man, and a good friend. He helps us out sometimes."

"I couldn't see his face, at first. I just saw someone holding you. Someone wearing a wedding ring. I thought…I thought I was too late."

"Leo's married, back on his earth. His Ray is a good man, a hero. He deserves someone like that."

"So do you," Leonard replied, the words slipping from his mouth before he could think.

"I don't know what I deserve anymore. I know what I want. What I wanted for a while, but I never managed to say it, and then you were gone…"

"Me and you?"

She nodded, but before either of them could speak, alarms began blaring throughout the complex. Sara hauled herself wearily to her feet.

Snart unwound himself from his corner. "You're hurt," he protested, as she grabbed her jacket from the floor.

"I'm also Captain. But you - you just got spit out of the temporal zone. You -"

"Are going nowhere without you. I'm not letting you out of my sight."

Sara grinned brilliantly, then stepped up and pressed a quick kiss to his lips. "All right then. I hope that cold gun is fully charged. Come on."


	3. Chapter 3

_**Here - have a bit more - because Fuck Destiny & Leonard Snart Lives! **_

Sara Lance sighed in her sleep and snuggled a bit deeper into her pillows. At some level, she was aware that she was tucked up cozily in her own bed on the Waverider. And then her eyes blinked open. How the hell had she gotten here?

She pushed herself up cautiously on one elbow, noting that she was dressed in a comfy-soft tee shirt and shorts, and that nothing seemed to pull or ache at her movements. Her suit was back on its mannequin, her weapons were in their respective places on the rack, and…there was a crook in her chair.

Leonard had the chair tipped back slightly against her desk, where the new cold gun Cisco had hastily pressed into his hands had been meticulously dismantled.

"Good morning, Sleeping Beauty," he said.

"Yeah, right," Sara grumbled, pushing her hair away from her face. "How'd I get here?"

"I brought you back here last night, after Gideon fixed the ribs that you finally managed to break during Demons, Round Two. Gideon said you needed sleep, and I figured your bunk would be more comfortable than falling out of one of those damn chairs in medbay. Your friend Zari helped you change," he added, with a hint of a smirk. "I don't have an actual death wish."

There was something in his tone…something a trifle warmer than his usual public facade, and yet…tentative.

"How come you're all the way over there?"

"I didn't want to presume."

"Since when?"

Leonard sighed. "Look, for me, the Oculus was just yesterday, but obviously it's been a lot longer for you." He gestured around the room, encompassing the sprawling bed, with its frosty grey blankets and comforter. "This isn't the space camp bunk I remember. Who exactly are Nate and Zari? And where's Stein and the kid? And then there's you - captain of a timeship that battles demons?"

Now it was Sara's turn to sigh. "It's been two years for us." She sat up, shoving a pillow behind her back. "Bottom left drawer," she told him.

Snart swung the chair around and bent down to look. After a moment, he came up with a bottle of scotch and a worn deck of cards. He looked up at her with one eyebrow raised inquiringly.

"Lose the boots and get over here with those. It's a long story, and we may as well be comfortable."


	4. Chapter 4

Sara was right - it had been a long story. And seeing as how it started with tears, the cards had remained untouched. Two year's worth of adventure and heartbreak and failure and success, and as much as Leonard needed to be brought up to speed, he suspected that Sara had an equal need to vent a great many things she'd been holding inside for all that time. For all that he tried to deny the existence of - _**feelings -**_ he still had them, and so did she, and releasing two years of pent-up emotion was exhausting. Which is how he came to end up stretched out on top of the covers with an armful of sleepy assassin. (Who had one small hand fisted into his sweater, making escape impossible, even if he'd entertained such a thought. Which he hadn't.)

Mick had wandered in with a tray of food at one point, and been mightily amused when they both responded to his greeting of 'Boss.' That Constantine fellow had been in to flick more holy water at Sara, and Leonard really did not want to know where she'd been hiding the throwing star she sailed at him in return. (She blamed it being embedded in the wall as poor aim due to being wakened suddenly. Snart knew better. So did the demon hunter, or whatever the hell he was supposed to be.)

Sara stirred and made a drowsy sort of sound, then blinked her eyes open and smiled. She reached up to gently touch his face.

"Sorry. Still not used to this. I keep wondering if I'm dreaming."

"Same." His tone was pure Snart-snark…even if the expression on his face was more smile than smirk.

"Also sorry for falling asleep on you. I assure you, it's not the company."

"Of course not. It's the booze and the tears."

"Also the formerly broken ribs."

"You OK?"

Sara shoved herself up on one elbow and nodded. "Yeah. Look, I'm sorry for dumping all that on you."

"I did ask. And…I think you needed to say all that as much as I needed to catch up on current events."

He sat up and pulled the cards from a pocket, idly shuffling and cutting the deck, even as he kept his keen gaze focused on Sara.

"I screwed up. A lot," she said finally.

"You saved lives. A lot. The whole damn world, as I understand it."

"Maybe. But I also made bad decisions that impacted good people."

"On purpose?"

"I…no. I never meant to hurt anyone. Well, not anyone who didn't have it coming."

"So, in other words…you're human."

"I suppose that's a step up from undead assassin."

"Or career felon?"

"That's not you anymore," Sara told him firmly.

"Ooohh…throwing my own words back at me. Sneaky. I like it."

She smiled a little, which is what he'd been aiming for.

"Look…Sara…I don't pretend to understand all of what went on while I was gone, but it seems to me like a lot of this is on Hunter for ditching you - how many times?"

"Maybe. But I made some…questionable personal choices."

"Haven't we all?"

"You see things that the rest of us miss. I think…maybe…I wouldn't have messed up so bad if you were here. And…I missed you."

"Same. Or at least, I would have missed you, had I actually been aware of the past two years. So…you're saying there's still room for me aboard this tin can?"

"Don't talk that way about my ship! And hell, yes."

Leonard looked down at the cards in his hand, then back up through those amazing lashes of his. "Wasn't entirely sure. You've got Leo."

"We don't _**have**_ Leo - he's from another earth, remember? They need him there. And he's not you. We… _ **I**_ …need you."

"For better or for worse?"

"Something like that. Now, are you gonna deal those?"


End file.
